OWENSBORO, KY - The Kentucky Wesleyan athletic department has announced the relocation of the annual Independence Bank Blue Bridge Battle softball tournament to Evansville, IN. After a recent site visit and discussion with the Owensboro Parks & Recreation department, due to ongoing construction it became clear that Jack C. Fisher Park would not be a safe and suitable facility to host the tournament.
 
The tournament will instead be played at the Deaconess Sports Park, an eight-field complex owned and operated by the Evansville Convention & Visitors Bureau. Each field features synthetic infields and a high-quality Bermuda grass outfield, along with shaded spectator seating, multiple concession stands, and play areas. Since opening in 2015, it has become one of the premier sports destinations in Southern Indiana. 
 
"We are disappointed that the city of Owensboro will miss out on this year's tournament. We would like to thank both Visit Owensboro and Visit Evansville for going above and beyond to ensure that the tournament still took place. The Independence Bank Blue Bridge Battle is one of the premier NCAA DII softball tournaments in the Region, and this year will be no different. We look forward to working with Visit Evansville as the potential future host site of the tournament." - Assistant Athletic Director Greg Richard.
 
This year's tournament consists of 33 games over the course of a three-day span (Feb. 24-26) and features 13 teams from eight states. The economic impact of the tournament is expected to approach $400,000. Tickets will be available online at www.kwcpanthers.com/tickets starting Wednesday Feb. 22^nd at 10:00am. Single day passes are $8 while three-day passes are $20. Youth softball teams can receive a special discounted team rate by contacting Gregory Richard at (270) 852-3195 or gregory.richard@kwc.edu.
 
For more information on the Independence Bank Blue Bridge Battle please visit www.kwcpanthers.com/bluebridgebattle